Is It Okay If I Don't Want to Try Anymore? [10]

It was night.
Outside, a gentle rain pattered quietly against the window.

Inside the still room, Izumi Konata clung to Higashino Kanade, wide awake.

She’d slept too much during the day—and then she’d napped again earlier. Now that she was lying in bed next to Kanade, her heart was pounding just a little too hard for sleep.

Kanade’s so soft. And warm. And he smells nice.
Hugging him doesn’t feel like hugging a boy—it’s more like cuddling a bishoujo from a gal game.

She had been planning to go home while Kanade was in the shower.
But the bed she’d warmed up was just too cozy to leave. She lingered. Then… well, it was too comfy. She’d nodded off.

When Kanade called her the first time, she’d actually been awake—but she didn’t feel like answering.
When he called her again, she thought, Sleeping here wouldn’t be so bad. After all, they’d shared a bed before.
By the third time, she’d made up her mind: she wasn’t leaving.

As for her dad? She could deal with that tomorrow.
She’d just tell him she stayed over with Suzu—not that she spent the night in Kanade’s bed.

But seriously… hugging him feels amazing.

Konata nuzzled into Kanade, sighing contentedly.

Sharing a bed with Kanade like this was different from the times they’d fallen asleep together as kids after playing too hard.
Now she kind of understood what those gal game protagonists felt like, lying in bed with a heroine.
And yeah, Kanade was a boy—but honestly, Konata thought he was every bit as cute as a girl.
Soft face, soft hands, soft tummy—he was squishier than she was.

Is this really a boy’s body?

Konata really liked Higashino Kanade.

They were childhood friends.
They played together every day.
They walked to and from school together.
Spent vacations together.

How could she not like him?

She just didn’t normally show it. Or rather, didn’t show it clearly.

But tonight, she was being a little more obvious.
Partly because she was lazy.
Partly because she liked him.
And partly because she knew—when it came to childhood friends versus new rivals, the odds were not in her favor.

The Nishimiya sisters had arrived.

And Konata knew—if she didn’t strengthen her bond with Kanade now, build up memories, she might lose him someday.

She liked Shouko and Yuzuru. They were friends.
But love is war.

And as the old Chinese proverb goes—Xi Xi Wu Zhi Wei Junjie—
Wait no, Fan Wei Du Jian.
Nip the problem in the bud.

She and the Nishimiyas weren’t sisters.
So yeah, better to be cautious.

She refused to become a gold-haired loser dog.
The hero’s hand had to be seized.

Please let this be a pure love game. Don’t let it turn into some harem nukige…

Konata had seen too much inappropriate content for someone her age.
She’d played things she probably shouldn’t have.
She knew all the tropes. All the endings.

Summer of middle school? Summer of high school? Maybe… the summer of elementary school?

Lying in the dark, her tiny brain was full of thoughts both silly and sinful.

“Kanade, you asleep? …Hey, Konata!”

“Konata? Is she home?”

“Shh! They’re sleeping—don’t wake them.”

“‘They’? You mean Suzu and Konata?”

“Are you stupid? Of course not Suzu! Who’s Konata most attached to?”

“Ooohhh… Got it, got it.”

Half-asleep, Konata wasn’t sure if she’d heard someone’s conversation or dreamed it.
Either way, their tone was way too gossipy.

Busybody nosy people…

“Ugh… I feel awful.”

Morning sunlight crept in through the window.
Higashino Kanade, who had been hoping to feel rested, felt even more drained.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the small figure beside him.

So that’s why…

No wonder he’d dreamed about a koala hugging him and refusing to let go.
Mystery solved.

He looked at Konata.

Fast asleep.
Completely passed out.

Rubbing his messy hair, Kanade sat up.

“Time to get up, Konata.”

“Mmm… I can’t eat anymore…”

“If you’re full, stop eating. But it’s time for school, Konata.”

“Didn’t summer break just start? Kanade, stop putting red flowers on it…”

What the hell kind of dream is she having?

Kanade patted her face.
He hadn’t been able to wake her last night, but surely he could now.

“Quit poking my face with that…”

Konata swatted at him and cracked her eyes open.

Still half-dreaming, her words didn’t make much sense.

“…Eh?”

Then realization dawned.
She blinked, stunned.

“You were having a weird dream, weren’t you?”

Kanade had a hunch based on her muttering.

“I was not!”

Konata’s face turned red. Bright red. Almost glowing.

No way it was a dirty dream.
She was just a kid. There’s no way a little kid like her would have that kind of dream.

“Really?”

Kanade’s face said he didn’t believe a word.

If he tried interpreting her babbling from an H angle…
Yeah. It tracked a little too well.

“Really!!”

Konata’s blush deepened—so red it looked like her face might start bleeding.

Wow, Kanade thought. Turns out people really can blush like anime characters.

He figured this was as flustered as Konata ever got, and decided to drop it.
No point digging deeper.
Even if she had had an age-inappropriate dream, so what?
What was he gonna do—ride that momentum?

Yeah, no. Not happening.

“You two awake? Breakfast is ready if you are.”

A voice drifted through the air.

Kanade and Konata both jumped.

“Mom! You scared the crap out of me!”

Kanade whipped around to see the door—when had it opened?
And his mom, Ye Shu, standing there like a ghost.

How does she walk so quietly? She’s like a high school teacher in slippers.

“Why so dramatic? Come eat. It’ll get cold. Konata, you too—I made some for you.”

Ye Shu emphasized that she hadn’t just cooked for her kids—Konata had a plate too.

“Th-thank you, Auntie…”

Konata was embarrassed out of her mind.

So this was what it felt like.

Waking up in your boyfriend’s house and making awkward eye contact with his mom.
Except she wasn’t even in high school yet!

Why does it feel like I aged up five years in one night?

Konata had a lot of misconceptions about high school girls.
Her image of them was strictly the anime kind—not the realistic, ordinary kind.
Or at least… not most of them.

“We’re all family, what’re you thanking me for?”
Ye Shu chuckled behind her hand. It was a very villain laugh.

Family…?

Konata and Kanade both fell silent.
Not just Konata—Kanade felt awkward too.

Mom… Auntie… what the hell are you saying…?

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This is a fan translation of 不想努力可以吗？by 优的布丁 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!